as in tried
to make an effort to do
after attempting—and failing—to start the lawn mower on my own, I finally succeeded with a neighbor's help don't even attempt walking on your broken foot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of attempted
Looking through the official tiebreaker rules, the American-Statesman has attempted to decipher the reasoning behind Texas State's seeding.
—
Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
Chicago’s Columbus statues in Grant and Arrigo Park came down after activists forcibly attempted to remove the prominent statue in 2020, leading to violent clashes between police and protesters.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
As the third quarter rolled along, the hometown Falcons attempted to chip away.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
Stockton took an early 3-0 lead in the first period after getting Dyes off-balance with a shot; Dyes attempted to leave the circle to quell Stockton’s momentum, but Stockton grabbed Dyes’ leg and pulled him back in to complete the takedown.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for attempted
Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
Chicago’s Columbus statues in Grant and Arrigo Park came down after activists forcibly attempted to remove the prominent statue in 2020, leading to violent clashes between police and protesters.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
As the third quarter rolled along, the hometown Falcons attempted to chip away.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
Stockton took an early 3-0 lead in the first period after getting Dyes off-balance with a shot; Dyes attempted to leave the circle to quell Stockton’s momentum, but Stockton grabbed Dyes’ leg and pulled him back in to complete the takedown.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for attempted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attempted
tried
Verb
-
China could have also tried to learn what tactics F-35 pilots use to avoid detection in both offensive strike and air defense roles.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Sanchez tried to allay legislators’ fears that the proposal could undermine energy affordability for ratepayers.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attempted. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
